Check-controlled game apparatus.



No. 754,377. PATENTED MAR. s, 1904.

APPLICATION r1121) 001 .2, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHERYL L minesses: inventor ,No. 754,377. PATENTEDMAR. 8, 1904.

G. W. MACKENZIE.

CHECK CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0012. 1902.

H0 MODEL. v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- T! 6 .i% 6: 8 K 4 3 I 28 m 1 9 0 I I 1 I IO a 4;

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iweizfoir PATENTED MAR. s, 1904,

G. W. MACKENZIE- GHEGK CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 2. 1902.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented March 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. MACKENZIE, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-SIXTHS TOROBERT H. MARKS AND R. E. MILLS, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ROBERT H.M. MACKENZIE, OF .PITTSBURG,

PENNSYLVANIA.

CHECK-CONTROLLED GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,377, dated March 8,1904.

Application filed October 2, 1902.

this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of myimproved game apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan vlew thereof. Flg. 3 is afront end view.

' Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view on the line IV IV of Fig. 2.Fig. 5 is adetail view, on an enlarged scale, of the locking mechanism.Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line VI VI of Fig. 2.Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view indicated by the line VII VII ofFig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the operating mechanism and shiftingcoverplates. Fig.9 is a detail view 'similer to Fig. 5, showing theplunger in a depressed position. Fig. 10 is a logitudinal sectional Viewon the line X Xof Fig. .2. Fig. 11 is a crosssectional view on the lineXI XI of Fig. 6. Fig. 12 is apartial sectional detail view, on anenlarged scale, of the front upper portion of the apparatus, showing theshooter withdrawn, a ball having been raised in front of it by theplunger. Fig. 13 is a perspective detail view .of the operativemechanism of the apparatus assembled.

My invention refers to a game apparatus Serial No. 125,645. (No model.)

said balls, a disk, or other suitable device of a uniform size andweightthereby releasing locking mechanism and permitting the operator tothrow a ball into range of a plunger, in the meantime cutting of]? thesupply so as to admit but one ball for each operation, the ball thenbeing raised by the plunger into the path of an operating-shooter, bywhich it is projected through the alley and upon the table-top, which ispreferably inclined, after which it rolls by gravity until finallypocketed.

Referring to the drawings, 2 is the case of the apparatus, in the upperportion of which is an inclined top or table 3, in the central lowerportion of which is arranged for a portion of the length of the top analley or channel 4. On each side of said alley at the sides of the tableare provided corrugated 'abutments or obstructions 5, while a portion ofthe intervening surface of the table is covered with upwardly-projectingobstructions in the form of pins 6, which are preferably arranged with abent portion extending upwardly along the table surface, the pin thenbeing inserted through the table, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. Theobject of such arrangement is that the balls are thereby prevented fromlodging against the pin and will roll 03 ,to one side or the other,aswill be readily understood.

These pins and the corrugated abutments 5 are designed to interfere withthe downward travel of the ball and to deflect it in various directions,so as to render its path of movement uncertain. At the upper portion ofthe top 3 are located concave fenders 7, terminating in a centraldownwardly-extending point 8, substantially in alinement with the'alley4,

and adapted to deflect the ball to one side or r the other. At the lowerend of the alley and in alinement therewith is located a shooter orplunger 9, mounted in suitable bearings, terminating in an outer button10 and provided with a spring 11, adapted to throw the plungerforwardly. to project the ball when the plunger is withdrawn, as shownin Fig. 12, and then I tending lever 16, having a vertical locking-facereleased. immediately in advance of the shooter is a vertically-arrangedplunger 12, mounted in suitable guiding devices and normally heldupwardly by a spring 13, engaging the plunger through a slot or in anyother suitable manner. 1 i

14: is an operating-handle extending outwardly through the front of thecase, on the inner end of which is mounted a lever 15, passing throughthe plunger 12 or engaging it in any other suitable manner, so that whenthe handle is partially rotated the lever 15 will withdraw the plungerdownwardly, permitting one ball to roll upon it, as inFig. 9. Theturning-handle 14 is also provided with an upwardly-ex- 17, terminatingin a curved cam portion 18, adapted to be locked by and to engage andlift one end of the locking-bar 19. The lever 16 terminates in aforwardly-extending stud 20, to the outer end of which is pivotedacut-ofi' bar 21. The locking-lever 19 is pivoted at 22 to a plate 23 orother suitable bearing on the inner side of the case, the other end ofthe lockingbar extending through a slot 24: into the path ofgravity-operated tally-weight, which passes downwardly through aguiding-channel 25.

Such guiding-channelis deflected at its upper portion and terminates inthe upper face of the apparatus in an oflset-opening 26, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4, the deflection in the channel preventing the insertionof a wire or other instrument for the purpose of depressing thelocking-bar. If it is desired to actuate the unlocking device by acheckor coin, the channel 25 may be made of suitable crosssectional slotform, as is usual in check or coin controlled apparatus.

Centrally arranged beneath the table 3 is a longitudinally-inclinedchannel 27, through the lower end of which the plunger operates, saidchannel terminating at its upper portion in a reservoir box or holder28, provided with a hinged cover or other means of access to' theinterior.

The cut-ofi' bar 21 projects through an opening 29 in the side of thechannel 27 and is adapted to be thrown in, so asto cut off all theballs,

"except the one immediately above the plunger 12, simultaneously. withthe downward travel of said plunger, thereby permitting but one ball toroll down at each operation.

The plunger-lever 15'terminates at its outer end in a projection or stud30, which in the normal position of the apparatus is somewhat below theouter portion of the locking-lever I 19, the inner end of which lever issomewhat travel of the locking-lever when the inner end has been raisedsufliciently far to unlock leheavier than the outer end, so as tonormally hold the outer end upwardly in slot '24 and into the path ofthe downwardly-falling tallywelght. The stud 30 arrests such downwardver, 16 by rising above the vertical portion 17 as clearly shown in Fig.5, whereupon the 5 turning stem 14 may be operated, lowering the lever15, plunger 12, and-stud 30, bringing the cam-face 18 against the end ofthe locking-lever and tilting it upwardly on its pivot, permitting thetally-weight to fall, as

clearly shown in Fig. 9, and at the same time.

thrusting in the eutofi bar.;21, permitting a single ball to roll downonto the topof the plunger. the spring 13 will raise theplunger,.throwing the ball upwardly in front of the shooter, as

sides with upwardly-extending walls or fenders adapted to prevent theballs from rolling over the holes. At the lowermost end of the top 3 aretransverse grooves or gutters 32, from which openings 33 lead downwardlythrough the table, which openings are adaptr ed to receive such balls ashave not lodged in any of the upper cavities and which are countedasblanks. i

Underneath the openings 31 are slidmglyarranged cover plates or grates34, provided with openings 35, adapted to register with the I Uponreleasing the turning-handle openings 31 when the cover-plates areshifted,

but which normally close the openings, as

shown in Fig. 2. At each operation the coverplates are shifted, so as topermit any ball in any of theopenings 31 to fall, by meansof a lever 36,pivoted between the \cover-plates at 37, so as to shift them inoppositedirections, the lever having a forward extension provided with adownwardly-turned lug 38, extending into the path of the stud 20. Bythis construction it will be seen that at each operation of.

the machine the cover-plates will be shifted to drop the ball, and aspring 39, secured to the hole and adapted to'deliver the ball into itsparticular space in the drawer. A similar plate 43 delivers the blank?balls to their particular department in the drawer, while thetally-balls drop downwardly through channel 25 into a separatecompartment in the drawer adapted to receive them. The drawer ispreferably provided with a lock, and thetop or I 10 under side of thetable, is adapted to retract cover is clamped down from the interior bymeans of a bolt 44, passing through the crossbar 45, engaging cleats 46on the inner side of the case, the bolt passing through a bracket 47,secured to the under side of the table 3.

A quantity of balls having been placed in the reservoir-box 28, theywill roll downwardly through the central channel 27, and upon droppingthe tally-ball into the channel 25a handle 14 is operated, releasing thelowermost ball, which is then thrust upwardly in front of. the shooter,by which it is projected upwardly through channel 27 and out upon thesurface table 3, after which it will either set-' tle into one of theupper holes 31 or will roll by gravity downwardly upon the table-top atrandom, falling either into one of the lower holes 31 or by one of thegutters 32 will be directed into one of theblank holes 33. The ball, ifin one of the holes 31, will rest there in full view until dropped bythe shifting of the under cover-plate 34 at the commencement of the nextoperation.

It will be understood that the reservoir 28 is adapted to hold a largenumber of balls, which will continuously roll down through the channel37 until exhausted, and the tally-balls may be also taken from thereservoir to supply the players or from a different source of sup ply,as may be desired.

It will be understood that various adapta tions, changes, ormodifications may be madeas, for instance, the number and location ofthe openings, passages, obstructions, &c.and I do not desire to beconfined to the exact construction nor arrangement of these elements asshown and described, nor to the form of.

be considered as within the scope of the fol lowing claims.

What I claim is 1 1. In a game apparatus, the combination with a pivotalturning stem and handle having a lever-arm provided with alocking-bearing and a cam-face, and a plunger-actuating lever providedwith a limiting-abutment; of a pivoted lockinglever adapted to engagesaid locking-bearing, and to be actuated by atallyweight and to bepartially depressed by the tally-weight to engage the limiting-abutmentand to be further depressed by the cam-face,

substantially as set forth.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination I with a pivotal turning stemand handle having a lever-arm provided with a locking-bean ing and acam-face, and a plunger-actuating lever provided with alimiting-abutment; of a tally-weight channel and a pivoted lockingleverprojecting thereinto and adapted to engage said locking-bearing,limiting-abutment and cam-face in the. order named, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. MACKENZIE.

4 C. CLARKE.

